Amazing Performance!

"Annie" was put on  CYT - Christian Youth Theatre - Central Alberta. It is an after school theatre arts training program for students ages 4-18.

This was the second play that we have attended put on by this group and the quality of the plays are EXCELLENT!! The acting, singing and dancing the students do ...its hard to fathom that they are as young as they are.

You weren't allowed flash photography....and I don't have a fancy camera...but I did get a few shots when the spotlight came on.

This play was extra special because of my granddaughter. 

We are very proud of her.

Annie & Things

We're off to see Annie....

We're extra excited...as Annie is none other than our GRANDDAUGHTER!! 

I'm sure I will have more pictures to post after we see the production?!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Christmas Cactus

I have two beautiful Christmas Cactus...

they are also called:

 Holiday, Cactus, Thanksgiving Cactus, Easter Cactus. 

Mine usually bloom around Christmas and Easter. 

For some reason one is almost in full bloom.

The second one is full of buds waiting to open. . .

They say cooler weather and shorter days cause them to bloom.

I guess this year...I'll have to call them Thanksgiving Cactus...

as the first one bloomed during Canada's Thanksgiving...

the second one will be in bloom for America's Thanksgiving!

Family Things

Vintage all in the family....

Butter churn

(One day I had all the grandchildren over. made butter in this butter churn.. 

It was so much fun!)

Butter paddle and Butter  - Old Grater

Old milk bottle....do you know what the top is for....

  It collects the cream.
Flour sifter used by my grandmother.

Linking with Vintage Thingie Thursday

Middle of the night. .

After seeing 1:00 am, 2:00 am...

at 3:00 am I got to work. . .

By 4:00 am I was able to go to sleep.

Do you ever have nights like that?

Community Project....

Back In February I did a post on the Sewing Studio. 

The second year I taught I thought it would be good for students to work on a Community Project to give away. The first project I had students do, was for a group in town that needed Baby Quilts. 

Each class worked on a quilt. . .

Here are a couple of the quilts students made. 

Six quilts were made in all.

One year we made aprons for the Seniors Home Cooking Class.

Another year bags for Mexico to be filled with gifts.

The last project we started was 4 years ago. The students started working on a Rag Quilt to be sent to Mexico. I thought this project would never be done...it just seemed students were too busy to work on the quilt...one year it never got worked on....but finally... its complete. 

It ended up being 2 quilts instead of one...as it became to large to handle! 

The quilts are now washed are ready to go to Mexico this coming January! 

Next sewing session...we can start on a new project!!

I am joining Secret Santa!

Check it out at Coloradolady Blog.

Obstacles along the way

“God allows us to experience the low points of life

 in order to teach us lessons 

that we could learn in no other way.” 

C.S. Lewis

Vintage Toys

I was the youngest of 4 girls...

but somehow...

I have the following toys from my childhood.

I remember there being two of these motorcycles... 

I have one.

I think this came out of my Dad's garage....

This was MY gas truck...

Like I said ...I was the 4th girl:) 

At the side there is a hose for filling up the tanks. 

My grandsons all enjoyed playing with this!

I am happy to be linking with Vintage Thingies Thursday

Check it out!

Blog Friends...

How exciting.. a parcel !! All the way from south eastern USA!!!

Inside it was packed so lovely!!

A beautiful jug...complete with drinks to put in it!!

I was one of the winners in Chatty Crone's Appreciation Giveaway!
Blog Friends are great friends! Thank you so much I Love it!
Check out her blog by clicking on the above coloured lettering!

Doll Making. . .

Do you remember when Cabbage Patch dolls first came out? Did you or your daughter(s) have one?

I had two little girls and they both had a Cabbage Patch. My youngest was a boy...he didn't get a Cabbage Patch Doll. When his sisters played with their dolls...he didn't have one...I found a Cabbage Patch doll pattern, it was very detailed, and very hard to make... so I  did my best to make a Boy Cabbage Patch, along with lots of boy clothes....I don't know if he every played with him?

Oh dear he doesn't look too good, but I still have him, plus all his clothes.

That was in the 80's...

Time passed and I became a Gramms. . .One Christmas I decided to make my granddaughter a doll. 

I found a simple pattern ....

This doll was easier to make... 

Three years later I had another granddaughter and I made her a doll.

My youngest grand daughter is turning 4 this year ...

 If I don't make her a doll this year ...she'll be too old for a 'doll'.

I still had the pattern...but not the instructions so I used 

granddaughter # 2's doll to make granddaughter # 3's doll.

Granddaughter #3's doll - Granddaughter #2's doll

(hmm they seem to be getting more hair:)

Here she is all dressed up, she just needs a pair of shoes. 

Matching dress for my grand daughter.

Time

This past weekend we celebrated my Aunt's 90th Birthday.

We have a wonderful time with friends and family!

90 Years! 

That seems like such a long time..but is it? 

Where does time go?

The Future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of sixty minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is.  ~C.S. Lewis

What are you doing with YOUR TIME?

Hobby...or not?

"A hobby is a regular activity or interest

 that is undertaken for pleasure,

typically done during one's leisure time."

Seventeen years ago my daughter was expecting our first grandchild. 

My sister had 4 grandchildren that every Christmas she cross-stitched a Christmas Ornament for. 
I thought this was a GRAND idea!!(?)

 So, I started making my first grandbaby his first cross stitch ornament ....

Seventeen years later, I have 7 grandkids.

 I totalled it up and I have made approximately 75 ornaments over the last 17 years.

There were years I was frantically trying to finish them up a day before Christmas! 

Some years I ended up buying a few as I didn't have time to finish all of them!

The past two years I have been able to wrap them up well before Christmas...

...so in November when we head south...I can start all over again for the following year:)

Next year I will have 1 less ornament to do as this is the oldest grandchild's last year to receive one. (I am thinking once they are 18 years old...they shouldn't get too excited about an ornament:) 

So I only have 14 years more of doing this...then they'll all be 18 ...sigh

What makes me continue to do this...I'm wondering is it a hobbie? 

(did I mention I DO NOT enjoy cross-stitching)

Well hobby or not... here's to 14 more years of cross-stitching!

Traditions and such

I remember going into this cookie jar as a little girl...

This was the bowl mom made bread in...

I loved eating the dough and got to scrape out anything left in the bowl 

while the bread was rising on the table.

I love the memories of home as a little girl. 

There were also meals that mom made...

not to often, as they were a lot of work... 

She would make Plum Klose. It was a big ordeal.

She made the dough.

cut the dough,

pitted the plums...

then after they were placed on the squares of dough, 

she added sugar and then you had to pinch them closed....

I didn't get to pinch to often...

as they had to be pinched tight!

Then you had to boil them,

drain them,

 and top them with a sauce made of bacon and cream.

Every once in awhile I like to make this meal for my grandkids (and kids)....

I like them to experience the process.

Some cut the squares...washed and pitted the plums....

 placed the plums and sugared them...

and I let them pinch them shut! 

Here they are ready to boil!

It's a funny sort of meal...but it is fun to do. 

Hopefully my grandkids will have fond memories of making Plum Klose and will someday pass the tradition down to their children....

guess I better get a recipe written down!

Do you have a family recipe that you enjoy making?

Fall Display

Fall has arrived. We have had THE Frost that kills most of the flowers and plants. Most of the leaves are off the trees. But yesterday was one of those fall days, the sun was hot, there was no breeze, so I went out to finish off some fall clean-up.

I was amazed at the flowers that have survived this late in October.

My Aster plant is flourishing  . . .

And teaming with bees....

I had my camera on Macro...and had to take pictures of all the surviving flowers...

Snow in Summer

Petunia

My last Rose

Clematis vine

One of my last flowering pots

Those pansy love growing in my patio.

New little yarrow starting to bloom

Well its was  nice to find those blooms...

but on my morning walks when I hear the crunch of the leaves...

I know what is around the corner...